Does Pasadena have a local Zone 0 ordinance?
Three laws, one draft, one local ordinance
The state framework is a directive, not a live Zone 0 mandate. Pasadena's FHSZ map ordinance path is maps, not Zone 0.
| Authority | Year | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| AB 3074 | 2020 | Directed the state to create an ember-resistant Zone 0 in the first 5 feet. The implementing statewide regulation is not in force as of September 19, 2026. |
| SB 504 | 2024 | Directs the Board of Forestry rulemaking and clarifies how the zone applies across state and local responsibility areas. |
| AB 1455 | 2025 | Adjusts implementation timelines and coordination between state agencies and local enforcers like the Pasadena Fire Department. |
| Board of Forestry draft | April 17, 2026 | Withdrawn September 8, 2026 (OAL file 2026-0828-03E). Do not treat that draft's phase structure as live law. |
| Pasadena FHSZ ordinance | 2025 | Pasadena adopts the state's March 2025 hazard map by local ordinance, replacing the city's old two-tier system with the state's three hazard levels. The city stated it was not proposing any additions of its own. |
Local-first, by design. Pasadena Fire Department is the AHJ. No municipal Zone 0 ordinance is cited. Statewide Zone 0 is proposed — not in force. Existing defensible-space law still applies.
What Zone 0 actually covers
Everything combustible in the first five feet is in scope: mulch and bark, dead and dying vegetation, wood fencing and gates attached to the structure, firewood, stored items, and combustible outbuilding materials within the band.
The withdrawn statewide draft scaled back earlier blanket vegetation removal and has no effective date. Well-maintained plants and mature shade trees were treated more carefully than early proposals suggested, a point Pasadena residents raised during the state's comment periods. Verify specifics against the city's guidance before removing established trees.
Existing defensible-space obligations bind property owners, not tenants. Statewide Zone 0 is proposed — not in force, so it does not create a rebuild clock. Clearing the first five feet is recommended now.
Regulation questions, answered
Who enforces Zone 0 in Pasadena?
The Pasadena Fire Department is the Authority Having Jurisdiction. Pasadena is not LA County Fire territory. No municipal Zone 0 ordinance is cited. FHSZ map adoption is not Zone 0. Statewide Zone 0 is proposed — not in force.
Is the regulation final?
As of September 19, 2026 there is no statewide Zone 0 regulation in force. The Board of Forestry emergency filing was withdrawn September 8, 2026. No Pasadena municipal Zone 0 ordinance is cited. Do not treat a withdrawn draft's phase structure as live law.
Does the first five feet matter for every Pasadena home?
Check your parcel. About 4,610 Very High properties sit on the June 23, 2025 FHSZ map path (up from 3,911). That map is not Zone 0. Statewide Zone 0 is proposed — not in force. Clearing the first five feet is recommended now.
What happens if I do nothing?
Pasadena Fire is the AHJ for existing defensible-space and vegetation-management rules. Statewide Zone 0 is proposed — not in force, so it does not create a new-fence or rebuild clock. Clearing the first five feet is recommended now.
Know what is required now versus recommended now
See what is required now versus recommended now on your parcel.